Post by Kathie on Nov 12, 2015 13:51:19 GMT -5
Yesterday I had my hired hand put in the organic fertilizer stakes in my orchard. Made sure he read the directions, gave him the proper hammer and sent him on his way. Looked out about an hour later, and noticed him kneeling right by the trunk of a tree and pounding away. Bundled up and went out, and it turned out he had no idea what the drip-line was, and had done 3/4s of the orchard with the stakes right at the bottom of the trunks. Grrr. I explained how to do it, and told him to finish the rest of the orchard correctly. I came back inside and back to what I was doing.
He comes back to the house about an hour later, says he'd done, and what to do next? I tell him to put the stakes in the guest closet, they can't be left in an outbuilding because they absorb moisture and fall apart. He says there aren't any left. What?! I had bought enough to do both fall and next spring's applications...about $350.00 worth. Turns out he had gone back and re-done the ones he did at the bottom of the trees and did the drip lines, too. Well, no use crying-over-spilled-milk, and just sent him on to the next job.
But now it's bothering me...have I over-fertilizered my trees, and will it hurt them? Some of the trees are really big, and took 18 spikes per tree (now 36!) I'm especially worried about the ones with all those stakes right at the bottom of the trunk...they must be almost touching? There is no way to get them back out, of course.
Luckily, we've had lots of rain lately, and are supposed to get several inches today and tomorrow. Fortunately, the stakes were organic, so I'm hoping they are less likely to burn. Anyone have any words of wisdom? If I've killed my late husband's beloved cherry trees, he won't speak to me when next we meet...
He comes back to the house about an hour later, says he'd done, and what to do next? I tell him to put the stakes in the guest closet, they can't be left in an outbuilding because they absorb moisture and fall apart. He says there aren't any left. What?! I had bought enough to do both fall and next spring's applications...about $350.00 worth. Turns out he had gone back and re-done the ones he did at the bottom of the trees and did the drip lines, too. Well, no use crying-over-spilled-milk, and just sent him on to the next job.
But now it's bothering me...have I over-fertilizered my trees, and will it hurt them? Some of the trees are really big, and took 18 spikes per tree (now 36!) I'm especially worried about the ones with all those stakes right at the bottom of the trunk...they must be almost touching? There is no way to get them back out, of course.
Luckily, we've had lots of rain lately, and are supposed to get several inches today and tomorrow. Fortunately, the stakes were organic, so I'm hoping they are less likely to burn. Anyone have any words of wisdom? If I've killed my late husband's beloved cherry trees, he won't speak to me when next we meet...
